Snap switch



Nov. 16, 1948. KMlClK 2,454,185

SNAP SWITCH Filed July zo, 1945 bgymyya `Patented Nov. 1 6, 1948 SNAP SWITCH Leo J. Kmiecik, Chicago, Ill., assigner, by mesne assignments, to McDonnell & Miller, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application July 20, 1945, Serial No. 606,249

This invention relates to a snap' device such as a snap switch and the like and more particularly to a snap spring for use in actuating the switch.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved, simple and compact snap device which particularly lends itself to use as a snap switch.

Another object of this invention is to provide a snap switch in combinationwith a. leaf spring for actuating-fthe movable member of the switch for moving the latter in switch opening direction upon depression of the spring; this spring when relieved oi pressure also serving by reason of its inherent resiliency to vassist in'moving the rela' tively movable operating member of the switch into switch closing position.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved form of snap spring for connecting the ends of relatively movable switch members together and which functions to operate in either direction from dead center to move the ends apart.

In accordance with the general features of this invention there is provided in a snap device, such as a snap switch and which includes cooperable relatively movable members, a snap spring ior connecting adjoining ends of the members including opposite slotted ilanges in each of which one oi the ends oi said members is loosely fitted, and a lexible intermediate' portion constructed to be compressed under tension as these ends approach each otherand to snap the ends apart in either direction from dead center.

Another feature of the invention relates to the :forming o the intermediate flexible portion of the snap spring of a goose-neck construction adapted to be contracted as the ends oi the membersl move toward dead center.

Still another feature oi the invention relates to the forming of relatively movable members out of superimposed angular constructions so that they may be arranged in compact form in a common housing.

Still another feature of the invention relates to the provision of anV actuating element in the 8 Claims. (Cl. 20D-67) 2 atively movable members toward switch closing position.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a single embodiment thereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view taken -on substantially the line I-I looking downward.-

ly and showing in plan theswitch mechanism;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on `substantially the line II-II of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and showing the switch in closed position;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view similar to Figure 2 but showing the switch in open position; and

. Figure 4 is an isometric view of the snap spring which interconnects the adjoining ends of the relatively movable members of the switch.

As shown on the drawings:

The snap device or switch of my invention is 4 housed in a two-part casing designated generally by the reference character I0 and which includes a cover part il and a base part l2. These parts may be made of any suitable insulating material, such, for example, as a phenolic. condensation product or the like.

Embedded in the base i2 are electrical contacts or terminals i3 and lli for connection to a circuit Which is to be controlled by the switch of my invention.

The cover part Il has a central apertured boss l5 in which is slidably disposed a plunger I6 for actuating the switch mechanism. This plunger I6 may be operated either manually or through form oi a leaf spring ior bearing on one of the relatively movable members to'move the latter in switch opening direction upon depression of the spring; this spring when relieved of pressure mechanical means (not shown) such as a vcam or the like.

Attention is also directed to the fact that the base portion l2 has formed integral with it oppositely extending apertured flanges l1 by means oi which the switch may be suitably mounted on a support or the like.

. The switch mechanism of my invention comprises relatively movable members I8 and I9, a snap spring 20 for interconnecting their adjoining ends and a leaf spring 2| engageable by the plunger i6 for actuating the switch. All three l members I8, I9 and 2| are of an angular shape serving by its inherent resiliency to move the reland are in reality superimposed one above the IB upwardly through the boss or lug I5.

other inside ofl the cover part II thereby enabling a, very compact arrangement of the parts. The members I8 and I9 may be made vof suitable metallic material such as brass whereas the flexible portion of the leaf spring 2| may be made of a metal such, for example, as bronze.f`

The horizontal leg 22 of the lower member I9 carries on its underside a contact button 23 which is secured to a thin copper strip 24 connected at its ends 25 and 26 to the leg 22. .This button 23 has a. reduced portion or projection 21 which extends into an opening 28 formed in the leg 22. The leg 22 also has formed integral with it downwardlydepending ears 29 pivoted on a pintle pin 30.

The other or generally vertical leg 3| of the member I9 includes an end extremity 32 loosely fitted in one of the slotted anges 33 of the spring 20. This provides a lost motion connection between the leg 3| and the spring 2-9.

,The -other relatively movable member I8 has 'l a -generally horizontal leg 34 with an upwardly turned apertured extremity 35 in which one end of the leaf spring 2| extends. 'I'he leg 34 also has attached to it spaced ears 36 journalled on the pin 30. Thus, both members I9 and I9 are pivotaliy mounted on a common axis. The pin 30 is attached to fixed arms 31 secured to a base portion 38 attached to and in electrical connection with the terminal I4. The other or generally vertical leg 39 of the member I8 has its extremity slightly turned at 40 and loosely fitted in the other slot of the apertured flange 4| in the spring 20.

This spring clip 2U, as best shown in Figure 4, has its two apertured flange portions 33 and 4I connected by a exible intermediate or gooseneck portion 42. In addition the ilange portion 4I has downwardly extending legs 43--43 adapted to serve as stops for limiting the movement of the spring clip in a'downward direction. These legs 43 as shown in Figure 2 are adapted-to strike the metallic base portion 38 when the switch is in a closed position.

The base portion 38 has an upwardly extending angular leg 44 which is suitably attached at 45 to one end of the angular leaf spring 2|.

The normal position of the snap device or switch in a fuse is shown in Figure 2. In this position the spring element or leaf spring 2| is in its uppermost position and forces the plunger In this position, the snap spring 20 is in its lowerrnost Cil position and is urged in such a direction as to hold the button 23 on the member or arm I9 in electrical contact with the terminal I3. When in this position, the bronzev spring strip 24 is forced upwardly against the underside'of the member I9, and this movement is permitted by reason of the fact that the connection 26 of this strip to the member I9 comprises a lost motion connection. Thus, the switch member I9 is in tensioned electrical connection with the terminal I3 and closes the circuit as between the two terminals I3 and I4.

When it is desired to open the circuit, the button or plunger I6 is depressed thereby depressing the leaf spring or element 2| which in turn pivots the upper member I8 about the pin 3|). During this pivotal movement and as the ends 32v and 40 of the relatively movable members I9 and I8 come into alignment, the spring 20 is vcompressed `so that after it passes dead center it functions to force the pivotal member I9 out of electrical connection with the terminal I3.

As the free end'of the member I9 moves away from the terminal I3, the button 23 on the resilient bronze strip 24 drops downwardly to the. position shown in Figure 3.

AWhen the pressure on the plunger I6 is released, the switch snaps back into the position shown in Figure 2. During this return motion, the button 23 rst strikes the terminal I3 and is thereafter forced into tight tensioned engagement therewith. Accordingly, the switch always tends to be snapped into its closed position and it is only when the plunger I6 is held in a depressed condition that the switch is snapped and held in open position.-

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a. wide range without departing fromthe principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a snap device such as a snap switch or the like, a pair of angular members disposed in superposed spaced relation and each Iwith an elongated -rst leg intermediately pivoted to render the members relatively rockable, .each of said members having a shorter second leg at an angle to the first leg and with the shorter legs in spaced opposing relation, and a snap spring interconnecting the ends of said shorter legs and arranged normally to hold said members relatively rocked in opposite directions, said snap spring having an over center relation to said shorter legs, and the ends of said shorter legs being movable generally past one another in the relative rocking of the levers so that said spring operates to snap past a substantially aligned condition of said shorter leg ends to dispose the members in respective opposite relatively rocked positions responsive to movement of one of said levers to carry the end of its shorter leg selectively to either side of the aligned position of the shorter leg ends.

2. In a snap device for a snap switch or the like, a pair of angular members each comprising an-elongated leg and a shorter angular leg, the elongated legs of the members being disposed in generally superposed spaced relation and each having an intermediate pivot whereby the elonlonger than the shorter leg of the lower member whereby in the relative rocking of the members the ends of the legs 4move relatively to opposite vsides of a predetermined aligned relationship, a

snap spring interconnecting the ends of the shorter legs and adapted to snap over center in either direction from said aligned relationship of -the ends of the shorter legs so as to move the members rapidly into either of the relatively rocked positions of the elongated legs, and an elongated resilient member overlying the upper of said rocking members and connected to the elongated leg thereof at the end remote from the shorter leg of such upper member, said resilient member being selectively operable to rock said upper member to actuate the snap spring to snap the members selectively into either of the relatively rocked positions thereof.

3. In a snap device for a snap switch or the elongated legs of the members beingdispo'sedzin generally superposed s"paced relation and each having an intermediate pivot whereby the elongated legs are relatively rockably related, the rmortier-'legs being in spaced opposed relation, with the shorter leg of the upper member being longer than the shorter leg of the lower memof said rocking members and connected to the elongated leg thereof at the end remote from the shorter leg of such upper member, said resilient member being selectively operable to rock to snap the members selectively into either of the relatively rocked positions thereof, said resilient member being -ilxedly mounted at a point adjacent to but adequately spaced for clearance from the shorter legs of said rockable members and normally biased to urge 'said upper member into the rocked position thereof wherein said remote end portion of the longer leg thereof is in its uppermost position. l

4. In combination in a snap switch of the character described, a housing casing including a base, a contact member carried by said base, a generally L-shaped member carrying a contact element engageable with the contact member, means carried by said base an`d pivotally supporting said L-shaped member for rocking movement thereof relatively to said base to carry said contact element into and out of engagement with said contact member, said contact 'element being located adjacent to one end of the long leg of said L-shaped member while the short leg thereof is at the opposite end and extends toward said base and the pivot is at an intermediate point of the long leg, a second generally L-shaped member pivotally mounted at an intermediate polnt of its long leg and disposed-in generally nested but spaced relation to said rst L-shaped member and on the opposite side of the latter from said base so that the long and short legs of the second L-shaped member oppose in spaced relation the corresponding legs of the i'lrst L-shaped member, an operating plunger reciprocably mounted in the wall of the casing opposite the second L-shaped member at a point generally opposite an intermediate point of the long legs of said L-shaped members, an actuating leaf spring in spaced relation between said plunger and said second L-shaped member and having operative connection with the end of said second L-shaped member adjacent the contact carrying end portion of the rst L-shaped mem ber, a fixed supporting structure adjacent to but in clearance spaced relation to the short leg of the second L-shaped member and having the adjacent end portion of said leaf spring connected thereto, and a snap spring connected between the end portions of the short legs of said L-shaped members and arranged to effect rocking movement'of the first mentioned L-shaped member in opposite direction to the rocking movement of the second mentioned L-shaped member as actuated by said leaf spring, said leaf spring being biased normally to rock the second L-shaped lever in one direction and besaid upper member to actuate the snap spring ing responsive to pressure from said plunger to flex in the opposite direction and move the second L-shaped member rockably in said opposite drection conformable to movement of the leaf spring under the influence of said plunger.

5. In a snap device of the character described, a pair of substantially L-shaped levers/each of said levers having a pair of bearing ears extending in the lsame direction from an intermediate point of the long leg thereof, the ears on one of said levers being longer than the ears on'the other of said members, supporting means having common pivotal connection with the ears on both of said levers and the levers being thereby supported for relative rocking movement, the short legs of the levers extending in generally the same direction and being disposed in spaced opposed relation, and an over center snap spring connecting the end portions of said short legs and being operative to rock one of said levers in the opposite direction to the other of said levers in response to rocking movement imparted selectively to said other lever.

6. In combination in a snap device of the character described, a pair of generally L-shaped members, an operating lever, a one piece' sheet metal supporting member, said L-shaped members having intermediate the ends of their lon'g legs respective pairs of pivot ears, said supporting member having a pair of pivot ears, means i pivotally connecting said L-lever pivot ears to the support pivot ears', with the long and short legs of the L-levers in spaced opposed relation andwith the L-levers relatively rockable, an over center device connecting the short legs of the L-levers for compelling relative opposite rocking of the levers, said actuating lever having an operative connection with one end of one of said levers remote from the short leg end of such lever, and a supporting ear on said supporting member having supporting connection with the actuating lever in 'spaced clearance relation to the short legs of said L-levers and with the actuating lever supported thereby in spaced clearance .relation to the L-lever to which it is operatively connected.

7. In combination in a snap mechanism of the character described, a pair of substantially L- shaped levers, means pivotally supporting said levers in spaced generally nested condition and for pivotal movement about axes adjacent to intermediate points of the long legs of the levers for relative rocking movement of the levers, 'the short leg of the outermost of said levers being longer than the short leg of the innermost of the levers, the short legs of the levers having opposed curved end portions, and a generally gooseneck snap spring having opposite ends operatively supported within the curved end` portions of said short legs and adapted to compel relative rocking movement of the levers with snap action over center from a predetermined aligned condition of said end portions of said short legs.

8. In combination in a snap mechanism of the character. described, a pair of substantially l.- shaped levers, means pivotally supporting said levers in spaced generally nested condition and for pivotal movement about axes adjacent to intermediate points of the long legs of the levers for relative rocking movement of the levers, the short leg of the outermost `of said levers being longer than the short leg of the innermost of the levers, the short legs of the levers having opposed curved end portions, a generally gooseneck snap spring having opposite ends operatively supported within the curved end portions of said short legs and adapted to compel relative rocking movement of the levers with snap action over center from a predetermined aligned condition of said end portions of said short legs, a. base structure, and stop means on said snap spring engageable with said base structure in one position of said spring.l I

relative to said levers to limit the relative rocking movement of the levers in one direction.

LEO J. KMIECIK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number vUNITED STATES PATENTS'l Name Date Long June 26, 1917 Hulse May 26, 1925 Eskin Oct. 16, 1934 Greenleaf Dec. 4, 1934 Abendroth May 9, 1939 Ulliberg Feb. 17, 1942 

